These Intriguing Images Queer the Boundaries of Art

The line between fine art and documentary photography isn’t exactly a line. The two overlap; they ebb and flow into one another. I've made this relationship the subject of my photography. The result in this case is a series of character portraits I’ve made over the last year.

The images in this series are both posed and candid. Beyond the fine art/documentary distinction, they interrogate the liminal space between artistic and self-representation. When do images create reality, and when does reality create the image?

I met many of my subjects while photographing queer nightlife in New York. After spending time together, we worked collaboratively on the look and feel of each shoot. Direction came from both sides of the camera. Much of my work and life exists within queer and nonbinary culture, though no specific identity is the focus of this series.

My photographs do not “capture” their subjects. They are not definitive. They instead record moments of collaborative representation — moments when boundaries between photographer and model, and posed and candid beauty, resolve into something more.

“I️ love being photographed because it allows me to (somewhat) control how I’m seen. In day-to-day life, you have no choice but to just exist and be observed by the world whenever you leave your house. But if I’m doing a photoshoot, I️ can get dressed up, have my makeup done how I️ like, and I️ can pose as I️ see it to be most attractive. But, specifically for queer people, I️ know this isn’t always the case, especially when there’s so much societal pressure to conform and fit a certain mold. Being queer can automatically put you in the ‘other’ category, and along with that can come a fear of being ‘seen’. But, at least at this point in my life, I’m comfortable enough in my own skin and with my identity that I️ grasp at any chance to celebrate my uniqueness and have it catalogued. Loving yourself takes a lot of work, and I’m still traveling down the path of complete self-appreciation. But I️ think once you get to that point with yourself, you don’t mind if the whole world is watching.”

Adam came to my studio full of ideas. We had the whole day to shoot, so we took our time. This image arose from Adam playing with the fabric. It wasn’t planned or produced. I like the sense of gentleness that comes through the opposing parts of the photograph — Adam’s soft pose and sharp face.

I met Bailey one of my first nights out in New York and took to her immediately. When I heard she was looking for a photographer to document her body pre-surgery, I was beginning to actualize the focus of my series, and I knew I wanted to photograph her at this stage in her life. I offered, she accepted, and in the long run the shoot was pivotal in helping me determine the series’ focus.

Eric was one of the last people I photographed for the series. I’d been interested in shooting him for a while, and we finally found the time. I chose this image because it balances apparent contradictions. It is sensitively masculine and charmingly eerie.

“If I have a strong connection with the person taking the photographs, I have a better trust in the idea that they will capture not just my exterior self, but the connection between my inner self as well. There are so many levels that factor in, like if the lighting is right, if the styling is my own, if I’m being paid, or what the photos are for... it’s a euphoric feeling when all of these things come together for a photograph. Even if it’s completely distorted from reality, those pictures can be very reflective and connected as well.”

“It can be fun and affirming to be photographed when you have a good connection with the photographer. After years of feeling like people don’t see you, and that perhaps you don’t see yourself, that sort of ‘reflecting back,’ which can happen through a picture or through friends who share your experiences, can be gratifying.”

Ky has one of the most diverse looks of everyone I’ve photographed. The simplest clothing or makeup change can portray an entirely different persona, which is why he’s so unique to photograph. “One second I can look like a chick from the '70s and the next like a surfer. People are confused because I’m never consistent with the way I express myself, but I get bored only wearing men’s or women’s clothes.”

"There is a certain intimacy that comes with being a subject for another artist — a type that requires each of you to pull off your veil of vulnerability and place it on the eyes of the other. It is through that sacred gesture that one can see another clearly for the first time, as a kindred spirit whose veins pump in rhythm to yours."

I first met Davie when we were both living in Boston, almost 5 years ago. I’ve likely taken more photographs of him than anyone else, at every stage of my ongoing development as a photographer. His role in this series went far beyond model; he was integral in the creative direction, styling, and editing of the series as a whole.

My shoot with Issa was on a sweltering summer evening. When I walked into the apartment where we were shooting, he said, “I’m thinking Havana nights.” I love when a subject has a concept in mind — especially when they are adventurous with it.

“Queer people are still in a struggle for liberation and recognition today. It is essential for us to be represented as we want to be seen in the present and remembered in the future. Even one image can offer someone young the truth that we are here, that we can thrive, that we are loved and love radically.”

James Emmerman is queer photographer and photo editor in New York. His work has appeared publications including Paper, Pitchfork, Slate, Vanity Fair, LOVE, VICE, Gayletter, and Posture, among others. He currently works as the Assistant Photography Editor at Vanity Fair.

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